There are several signs that your home might have major electrical problems and you might need to call an electrical company.
Extension cords
The first sign is that you have too many extension cords. When you have extension cords, it just creates additional points where the cords are going to short out, get pinched, kink, lead to tripped breakers, outlets that are damaged, and even a fire. Therefore, it is a good idea to use the extension cords very sparingly and only for a short period of time. If you need more outlets, have an electrician to install some for you.
Lights
The second sign is if you have lights that are flickering or dimming all of the time. Most of the time, if there is dimming of a light, it is not going to be from the light fixture itself. This is because they only use a small amount of power. This means that the issue will be with the major appliances or space heaters that you might have wired to the same circuit. This is especially true for appliances that cool or heat up your home. There is also a chance that your dimming lights could be because your washing machine is drawing current in order to heat up the water. It is a good idea to contact an electrician about moving your lights to a different circuit or they could install a more dedicated line for all of your major appliances.
Odors
The third sign is if you are smelling funny odors inside of your home. There is a chance that a new appliance might produce an odor the first time you use it. But if you smell something odd from the outlet, then you will need to turn off the appliance and unplug anything that is connected to it. It is a good idea to not use the appliance until you have had a qualified electrician to check it out first. If the breaker panel or fuse box has a weird smell, then you will need to call the electrician as soon as possible.
Sparking
The fourth sign is if you experience any type of sparking when you plug something in, then this is never good. How you deal with the situation depends on where the sparks are coming from. If it is a breaker panel, outlet, or fuse box, then you are going to want to call the electrician immediately. But if the appliance is sparking, then it probably means that the fixture is damaged. This is when you will need to call the repairman for the appliance. This is because this person will be able to test out the appliance and the outlet that powers the outlet as well. This is something that will be a lot cheaper than calling a licensed electrician. Plus if it is a newer appliance, then it will be repaired under the warranty of the appliance.
Hot Switchplates
The fifth sign that you need to call the electrical company in Jacksonville FL is if you have switch plates or outlets that are hot. If the things like a toaster or a space heater have outlets that become hot, then it is something that is not supposed to happen. A switch plate can be slightly warm to the touch if there is an electric current through it but if the outlet is very hot and you have turned off whatever was plugged into it, then you might need to try another outlet. If the outlet is hot even though there is nothing plugged into it, then the wires are probably not correct. More than likely, if you contact the electrician, then they will probably tell you to flip the breaker or remove the fuse for that outlet until they can get to your home.
Breakers
The sixth sign is if you are constantly blowing fuses or tripping a breaker. The fuses and circuit breakers inside of the home are designed to fail to make sure that they are not going to overload. Therefore, if you have a hair dryer or a vacuum cleaner that trips a breaker no matter where you have plugged it in, then the appliance is probably what is causing the problem. But if it is a single outlet that is always blowing a fuse, then there is a chance that the circuit is overloaded. You will need to call a professional so that they can discuss with you if you need to upgrade the circuit or just to add a new line.
Buzzing
The seventh sign is if you hear any type of buzzing. When your electricity is working the way that it should be, then you should not hear anything. Most of the time, the electricity will flow smoothly and quietly between the connections. But if you have loose outlets, prongs, or any type of fraying wires, then it can cause the currents to jump. It produces a buzzing sound because of this process. If you know that the sound is coming from the outlet, then you will need to stop using the outlet and call an electrician immediately.
Wrong Outlets
The eighth sign is if you know that you have the wrong outlets inside of your bathroom or kitchen. Water is an excellent source of electricity inside of your home, so the kitchen and bathroom need to have special shock resistant outlets inside of them. These are known as ground fault circuit interrupters. You will notice that they have small buttons in the center of them. But if the outlets in there do not look any different than the ones that you have in the rest of your home, then there is a good chance that you have the wrong outlets. Therefore, you will need to swap them out so that you will have an extra layer of protection against shock around any type of water sources.
